White House Forced to Restore Press Credentials to CNN, MS NOW, and Politico After Authoritarian Ban Overturned
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A federal judge rebuked President Trump's undemocratic attempt to silence critical media by banning three major news outlets, ordering the White House to reinstate their press passes and uphold constitutional rights.
On Thursday, the White House was compelled to restore press badges for journalists from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico after a district court intervened to halt the Trump administration’s blatant attack on press freedom. U.S. District Judge Tim Kelly, hearing the lawsuit brought by the targeted outlets, determined that the administration’s revocation of credentials 'likely violated their constitutional due process rights,' and issued a 14-day injunction against the ban.
The reinstatement followed ongoing obstruction by the White House, which continued to block these journalists from the grounds, forcing them to seek emergency judicial relief. White House press operations director Micah Stopperich announced that the administration reluctantly began re-issuing badges at 7:25 a.m., finally making them available for pickup by 9:55 a.m.
Judge Kelly, ironically appointed by Trump himself, dismissed the administration’s flimsy national-security excuse, noting that Trump had openly admitted the ban was retaliation for 'false or negative coverage.' The judge pointed out that the record contained no evidence that revoking press passes served any legitimate security purpose.
The three news organizations sued, citing violations of the First Amendment and due-process protections. Their fight was joined by a coalition of press-freedom groups, who filed a brief supporting the outlets. Attorney Theodore Boutrous hailed the ruling as a crucial victory for press freedom and the rule of law, standing against Trump’s authoritarian tendencies.
This confrontation unfolded as Trump attended the United Nations General Assembly and met with Chinese President Xi Jinping—events for which the White House television pool, excluding CNN, further demonstrated the administration’s willingness to manipulate media access. The pool’s members have refused to resume coverage until CNN is fully reinstated, underscoring the solidarity among journalists against government censorship.
The decision marks yet another legal defeat for Trump, following the dismissal of his lawsuit against the Des Moines Register over a poll he disliked. The judge’s order mandates the immediate return of press passes and blocks any enforcement of the ban for two weeks, reaffirming that the White House is not above the Constitution.